As some of you already know, Seagate has recently announced a new firmware fix for its high-capacity 1.5TB Barracuda SATA hard disk drives, of which numerous users have reported freezing moments. The issue has raised serious questions regarding the company's products, with some users expressing their skepticism as to ever buying another Seagate product in the future. 

This is certainly a real market opportunity for the company's main competitors, as they can now take advantage of the demand for high-capacity storage solutions that can also provide a sustainable performance rate. This is precisely why the latest announcement from I-O Data comes as no surprise, as the company is now also set to provide its customers with a 1.5TB hard drive.

Although not the only storage product manufacturer capable of delivering a 1.5TB SATA hard drive, the recent announcement from I-O Data comes at a time when the Scotts Valley, California-based storage maker has to deal with the reported hard disk drive issues. The HDI-SAH7 comes to deliver a maximum storage capacity of 1.5TB, within a 7200RPM hard drive. Other details currently available include a price tag of 30.600 Yen, or approximately 250 Euros, significantly higher than Seagate's Barracuda 1.5TB, which currently sits at a price point of 120 Euros.

Despite the fact that I-O Data's new 1.5TB could provide users with a high level of storage capacity, just like Seagate's solution, the higher price tag could potentially make the product lose a considerable market segment in the face of its competitor. This is likely to happen even if the new hard drive proves to be more reliable than Seagate's own product, which you can currently buy at newegg for just $120, which will also get you a free shipping deal.

Currently, hard disk drives continue to be the storage solution of choice for the most part of today's computer users, although SSDs are quickly catching up, with improved performance, but at a higher price and with lower capacity.